Liverpool could exploit Richard Hughes factor to snap up £50m brute they're 'desperate' to sign
11/11/2024 08:09 AM
Liverpool could be seeking to put Richard Hughes' contacts book to good effect in order to land a player they're reportedly 'desperate' to sign.
The 45-year-old came to Anfield to take up the sporting director job during the summer, having vacated the equivalent role at Bournemouth at the end of last season, and the Reds might now be hoping to take advantage of his connections with the south coast club.
Liverpool 'desperate' to sign Kerkez
According to the print edition of the Sunday Mirror, the Premier League leaders have taken a keen interest in signing Cherries left-back Milos Kerkez as a long-term replacement for Andy Robertson.
Liverpool are 'desperate' to bring in the Hungary international, who's thought to be valued at £50m by Andoni Iraola's side, and Hughes was the sporting director at the Vitality Stadium when the defender arrived in England in July 2023.
Could Hughes try to sign Kerkez for a second time?
Although Kerkez only has three assists in 44 games for Bournemouth, two of those came in their recent win over Manchester City, after which Robbie Mustoe told NBC Sports that he'd regard the 'aggressive' Hungarian among the 'top three or four left-backs in the Premier League'.
That attacking output is still better than what Robertson and Tsimikas have managed in the top flight so far this season, and the Cherries defender has outperformed the Liverpool duo across several other underlying performance metrics in the current campaign.
As per FBref, the 21-year-old has averaged more progressive carries (2.82) per 90 minutes than either the Scotland or Greece internationals (1.79 and 1.92 respectively) and has made almost as many tackles and interceptions on his own (27) and the Reds left-backs have managed between them (30). He's also completed more take-ons (10) than the Anfield duo combined (seven).
There's a lot to like about Kerkez, and the Hughes connection could help to tip the scales in LFC's favour. However, it's debatable whether he'd be ready to come straight into Arne Slot's starting line-up, and £50m would be a lot to stump up for a reserve defender.
Nonetheless, it appears from this report that the Reds are very keen on the Hungary left-back, and the current sporting director at Anfield mightn't be at all averse to signing him for a second time…
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